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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chip · shower · kick · wave · patient · kid

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. shower — to wash
  4. kid — child
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. chip — for betting
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. kick — in football
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. chip — to eat
  16. kid — to tease
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. shower — rain

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com